Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Below are my nominations for the 2011 Hugo Awards. Because I've been fairly distracted as of late, I did not spend quite as much time reading all the short fiction I should have and didn't put enough thought into some of the other categories with few (or no) nominations. That said, I do feel strongly about each of the nominations I did make.

Remember, if you wish to nominate, you must have at least purchased a supporting membership to Renovation by January 31. Nominations are due by March 26. If you don't have a supporting membership, it may be worth it to still purchase one. You'll be able to vote on the final ballot, nominate in 2012, and if there is a Hugo Voter's Packet again this year, you'll be able to get electronic copies of most of the final nominees - including the novels. Totally worth it, if you have the money to spare.

Monday, March 14, 2011

I'm one of Joe's guest bloggers, gingerly setting foot on his wonderful blog. I titled this post "Gingerly" not because it has anything to do with this post, but because it's one of my favorite words.

Although I suppose it does have something to do with this post, because hey, this isn't my blog. My blog is way over on WordPress, where I've been switching out themes all night long, not happy with any of them, and now my eyes are bleary.

(Six lines into Blogger, I'm starting to think that Blogger is the way to go. So easy! So simple! So good for idiots like me!)

The word gingerly applies to me here because I'm afraid to mess up Joe's great blog. He's an incredible reader and a great reviewer. He's honest and forthright and enthusiastic. He's off training to be a medic. While I'm sitting on my couch swapping out WordPress themes.

And there you have it.

A couple of recommendations for you:

1. BOOK. The best book I've read in the last three months was Room, a novel by Emma Donaghue. Took me a few chapters to settle in, but then once I did, I couldn't put it down. She's got an uncanny way of getting into the head of a little boy who's never seen the outside of the 12x12' room where he was born and raised.

2. BLOG. Try out Your Man for Fun in Rapidan: http://yourmanforfuninrapidan.blogspot.com/. (My apologies; I can't figure out how to hyperlink here on Blogger.)

3. SERENDIPITY. Do what I do and begin your day with a poem or three. Check out Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, or Writer's Almanac. OR, and this is the most fun of all, just google a few random words, e.g., tug, rain, grin, and poem, and see what comes sailing toward you from the universe.

Thanks for letting me stop by. And I'm with those of you who are hoping that we get a glimpse of Joe's Personal Life when you return.

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Welcome to the latest installment of "Stuff I'm Looking Forward To This Year". As always, I take my information from the Locus Forthcoming list, plus a little bit of extra research when I'm aware of things that should be on the Locus list and are not

AprilDark Jenny, by Alex Bledsoe: This is the third Eddie LaCrosse novel and is something of a retelling of the Arthurian Legend as seen by LaCrosse. I've already read this one and it's quite good, but that's what we expect from Bledsoe.

Gravity Dreams, by Stephen Baxter: The only thing I know is that this is a novella forthcoming from PS Publishing. The last PS novella I read from Baxter was the outstanding Starfall, which is the reason I'm reading Baxter in the first place.

The Akata Witch, by Nnedi Okorafor: I should really read more Okorafor.

Deathless, by Catherynne M. Valente: Valente describes this as "A retelling of the Marya Morevna and Koschei the Deathless fairy tales, set in Stalinist Russia". Also, in an instance where cover art really does help sell me a book...have you seen this cover?

MayCity of Ruins, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: The follow up to Diving Into the Wreck, which was an excellent and thrilling novel.

Mechanique, by Genevieve Valentine: I've been following Genevieve's short fiction for a while now. This is her debut novel. I'm hearing some buzz on this by sources I trust.

JuneNever at Home, by L. Timmel Duchamp: It's a new short fiction collection. I've read the firstfourof her Marq'ssan novels and Duchamp is worth reading whenever the chance comes up.

The Republic of Thieves, by Scott Lynch: I don't know, I'll believe it's really coming out when it does. But, it's on the Locus list and so it is on mine for the second consecutive quarter.

Fort Freak, by George R. R. Martin: New Wild Cards. Martin and his consortium brings the story back to Jokertown, which is a nice treat. An even nicer treat: the stable of writers for this volume include Cherie Priest and David Anthony Durham.